Homeward bound before I slowed down for long enough to write up my goals for Ulearn…
So I am reflecting without the written goals…
Has it really only been five days since I left home? It seems improbable that so much has happened in one week. It seems impossible that we are already reflecting on #ulearn15. It seems inconceivable that so many educators have made so many connections, so many aha moments, so many new wonderings and challenges, so many calls to action.
Where to begin?
Let me start with the absolute declaration that I am privileged to work for the MOST amazing whanau in the world – CORE Education Ltd. From the initial preparations, through to the opening, the connections, the presentations, the sharing, through to the closing waiata – Tatai Aho Rau, our whanau have embraced us all in the heart of learning. So long ago I was speaking of the dream of wearing the ‘yellow lanyard”. Three years in and I am privileged to wear the lanyard with pride, embracing all that it means to learn, share, laugh, dream, connect, embrace, celebrate and just BE ME in our CORE whanau. Celebrating my third year as part of the Social Media / Connected Educator team is a true blessing and privilege. To BE where educators need us, to support their next steps in a connected journey is such an incredible opportunity.
To share three sessions with delegates at Ulearn15 is an awesome privilege. Each session unique and MAGICAL…
Links to presentations to come…
Lets have a little look at my week…
Monday – arrive in Auckland, connect and collaborate with Vicky as we prepare and embrace mindfulnees.
Tuesday – Permission to play – tweeting from sessions, connecting with educators, setting up rooms at ACG, conference showcase, e-fellow dinner.
Wednesday – Keynote seat drop, Tweeting from key note, vox pop filming, Presentation on Twitter and connecting, tweeting from Grant Lichtman’s workshop, Connected Educator Lounge party, Twitter dinner
Thursday – Tweeting from keynote, Connected Educator lounge, Presentation with amazing crew – Mentoring, Presentation Driving your Professional Inquiry, Connected Educator lounge, Reflection time with Connected Educator team, Conference dinner
Friday – tweeting from Derek’s reflective panel session, Connected Educator Lounge, Pam Hook’s Solo workshop, Thanking Pam Hook, Tweeting from closing keynote,
Running on the adrenaline of the week, til now, the yawns have set in…
I want to capture some of my highlights…
· Mindfulness with Vicki on Monday.
· Grant Lichtman really lit my heart and soul with the challenge of hearing the story, listening to the people, reflecting on successes and challenges.
· Deliberate Acts of Facilitation from Grant Lichtman’s session. I am totally in awe of the way he used the power of the people at the table to collaborate and share, then share with others… very clever facilitation.
· Sharing my story of the transformative power of my journey, being mentored. Sharing a very personal story, from my heart, holding my tears.
· Feedback from my session from Whare. We all need validation, but to be quoted by Whare and to be tweeted this by my twitter buddies bought tears… Aroha and gratitude…
· Being a part of the Connected Educator team. My dream and belief that connection with others is EVERYTHING, socialisation and collaboration is everything, means it is a privilege and a honour to be part of this team. Gratitude and respect to Tara and Catriona for leading us this week.
· Sharing our twitter / connected educator session with educators so hungry, so thirsty for connection, online, outside their own back yard.
· Sharing my session ‘driving your inquiry through networking’ with such a beautiful group of people. The feedback from the session bought tears to my eyes. We must never forget to validate, and accept validation. We must never stop connecting and acknowledging the power of connecting to move us to so much more than we are capable of alone. We must never stop dreaming, believing and achieving.
· The socialisation – small group, one to one, face to face, e-fellow dinner, twitter dinner, showcase dinner… We are all about the learning and this conference is so focused on the learning. The socialization, the relationship building is what takes us beyond this just being #ulearn15, empowering us to connect and maintain the relationship online until our next face to face.
· The visual recording of the keynotes. A powerful way to capture ‘the story’ in a way offering another way to connect with and engage with the story.
· The power of the story within us all.
· The showcase dinner deserves a mention all of its own. WOW just WOW! The high seas was the place to be…
· Ann Lieberman’s keynote was an incredible story of the power of the teacher, leader, learner. Some incredible challenges issued to us all. How I am I going to share my learning, how am I going to lead?
· Pat Snedden’s keynote was an incredible privilege to hear. I have such an inside view into the life and MAGIC of my dear friend Helen King who is instrumental in transforming. I have renewed awe.
· Fionna Wright’s post on the CORE Education Ltd blog this week challenged me and heightened my awareness this week. “Every action of ours serves to include or exclude’. WOW what a challenge. I was very mindful this week of every opportunity I had to include. Thank you to everyone who included me!
· The buzz, the hype, the absolute ‘learning’ focus of CORE Education Ltd. What a privilege to work for this company. Tatai Aho Rau!
· Living in! This is an absolute highlight of the conference. Being able to return to our rooms, being able to take a lighter bag, being able to have space – thank you for this beautiful privilege.
· Being in amongst almost 2000 passionate, dedicated, educators who create MAGIC for learners daily.
· To acknowledge the incredible team who work to make this possible. From tech, to events, to media, to minders, and everyone involved, CORE Education Ltd you are MAGICAL.
As we approach landing, I am thinking about how #ulearn15 must be much, much more than a week in the life of learners. It must be a catalyst, an affirmation, a challenge, a connection, a trigger. It MUST impact on learning and learners. It MUST impact on us, our hearts, our minds and our ways of being. It MUST call us and challenge us. It MUST sustain and nourish us to take action. It MUST be oh so much more than a conference.
Personally, #ulearn15 is etched within me. It is in my breathing, as I breathe deep, mindful of my privilege of being an educator. It is in my movements, as I walk many paths, facilitating, ‘making easy the way’ of educators, it is in my mind as I reflect, synthesize, integrate, embrace new learning. It is in my eyes as I see new ways, new horizons, new opportunities. It is in my ears, as I listen, really listen to the voice of all, learners, educators, leaders, whanau. It is in ME!
Ulearn15 has called me to action. I am going to create a doc to share all of our reflections from Ulearn15, as we share and connect and continue the journey.
Thank you for the privilege.
I would love to hear your highlights, reflections, calls to action…
Here I am awaiting the flight home. Wow what an amazing hui. What was it that made it such an amazing two days?
Firstly, as always; he tangata, he tangata, he tangata!
Without a doubt it is always the people in the room that make the MAGIC!
This hui was incredibly focused on our journey and has supported us into a powerful place for the rest of the year. The sharing of personal story hui was a real highlight! There is a whole lot of MAGIC in telling a story and digging deeper into the story and the emerging themes. I feel incredibly attached to my story and am so grateful to Viv for capturing my story in pictures and to Brad for capturing my story in words.
...this is my story...
Another highlight for me was sharing a snapshot of the MAGICAL way in which Jo worked with hr storyhui to link to the RTCs and how she reflected on the storyhui experience! Thank you Jo for your powerful story, and thank you Liz for the opportunity to share.
A real highlight from day one was the session led by Merryn and Heather on wellness and mindfulness! Increasingly we are aware of the need to take best care of ourselves but do we always have a kete ready, full of ideas? I am particularly grateful for this very timely reminder, thank you girls. I am also incredibly grateful for the kete of quotes and sayings.
As we head to the pointy end of our year with our schools I think it will be very important for us to be aware of stresses and pressures, and prepared to support our colleagues and team members.
So heading home tonight I am uber grateful for this opportunity!
As we put the finishing touches on sessions for Ulearn I am increasingly aware of the need to bring my story into play.
On the flight tonight I have taken the time to record snapshots of my learning journey. I am not sure yet how much I will share at my session, but I know that sharing of myself, my story, my struggles is crucial in connecting with my participants. Sharing a story of the transformational journey from isolation to connection is essential for me. Acknowledging the key players, coaches and mentors in my journey is essential for me. Celebrating successes is essential for me.
About to touch down in Dunedin I am renewed, invigorated, inspired and amped ready for the next few weeks. Thank you to you all for the conversation, the collegiality, the motivation, inspiration, challenge and connection that has been the past two days.
Why should anyone be led by me? Facilitated.... mentored... coached... ? Addressing the self doubt? What works for me... The Imposter Syndrome - Book by Harold Hillman PhD Managing this and becoming an authentic leader... reframe feelings of self-doubt! Credibility - How leaders gain and lost it, why people demand it, James Kouzes & Barry Posner Research. Extraordinary Leadership in Australia and New Zealand: The Five Practices that Create Great Workplaces
What values or personal traits do we have that people look for in leaders?
Out of all of these:
Top four to give leader credibility:
Honest
Forward Looking
Inspiring
Competent
These attributes endow a leader with credibility!
Know and believe in self!
Know strengths and weaknesses.
Know passions!
"Leadership is a relationship, with credibility as the cornerstone, between those who aspire to lead and those who choose to follow." Kouzes and Posner
Rule 2: DWYSYWD - Do what you say you will do!
Theory X versus Theory Y Embracing the gatekeepers, "The essential role of leadership (and of leading change) is to find out how and what your colleagues (constituents) think, feel and believe and how this informs their practice... or doesn't."
Deliberate acts of coaching/mentoring;
Leadership is a conversation, a dialogue, not a monologue.
Asking really good, timely questions... mindfully listening to what is being said...
"I cannot teach anyone anything. I can only make them think." Socrates.
Whakatauki - listening...
Titiro, whakarongo, korero, Look, listen and then speak...
Coaching is a collaborative, solution focused learning relationship, through which positive change is facilitated. Leading to a better future through the team's aspirations...
Insert images for triple loop learning:
Moving from
Single loop Following the rules
Double loop Changing the rules
Triple loop New rules...
Moving to new ways of being... transformational/system change
"If your job is to help people do what they do, remember it's more about THEM than it is about YOU!"
Greetings all, here’s the weather forecast for tomorrow
Ka pupuhi te hau.
The wind will blow.
He tika tāu.
You’re right…
Ka heke te ua.
The rain will fall.
Whū!
Whoa
Ka huka te ua.
The snow will fall.
Engari mō tēnā!
Not on your nellie. No way.
Ae.
Ka whiti te rā.
The sun will shine.
Tērā pea
Maybe
E whā ngā kaupeka i te rā kotahi.
Four seasons in one day…
Ka riro koe ki whea?
Day dreamer…
I have to take a moment to acknowledge the support I am receiving. Gemma, you are incredible, you are patient, supportive and challenging in just the right mix for me!
Today I needed support with a sentence structure for ‘four seasons in one day”. Moments after posting my request I received help from someone previously unknown to me. I also acknowledge Te Mihinga and Tahu for their continued support. My tweet has also received some retweets and I am aware of the importance of me sharing my learning journey. For me, it is a HUGE challenge and I am very comfortable to share and acknowledge this.
To understand what school is for, first we need to explore what school used to be for. School was about teaching obedience! Respect and obedience!
The invention of the standardised test was set up to sort a problem. Once it didn't work, the originator said it didn't work.
We are programmed to hold a little bit back - exampled by raising a hand, then ask to raise higher, of which all are capable. We are programmed from our an early age to hold a little back.
People in factories didn't have enough workers. Universal schooling to train people to be willing to work in factories. Schools churned out interchangeable people, just as factories had interchangeable people.
Normal schools and text books came out, and so people became locked into the system of learning, memorising, regurgitating.
"If its work people try to do less, if its art people try to do more."
No right answer and a million wrong answers is a challenge!
With the arrival of technology we do not need one person to teach us - when we can all be connected via the internet.
Essential changes:
Flipped learning - Homework during the day, lectures at night
Open book, open note all of the time - memorising is not necessary
Open access to any course, anytime, anywhere
Precise focussed education -
No more multiple choice - ever
Measure experience instead of test score -
Co-operation instead of isolation
Teacher role transfers into coach
Death of famous colleges
Arduino - build, create, do something interesting - ask for help
Destroy the myths:
Great performance in school leads to happiness and success
Great parents have children who perform well in school
"Are we asking children to connect dots, or collect dots?"
Put the learners into a situation where they can fail and learn from it. We spend so much time measuring the dots, measuring the successes.
"Grades are an illusion. Passion and insight are reality. Your work is more important than your congruence to an answer team. Persistence in the face of a sceptical authority figure is priceless and yet we undermine it. Fitting in is a short term strategy that gets you nowhere. Standing out is a long term strategy that takes guts and produces results. If you care enough about your work to be willing to be criticised for it then you have done a good day's work."
Ask the question - what is school for?
Have a conversation with anyone - what is school for!
Wow, so many challenges is this talk. How well are we going at connecting the dots?
Maybe storyhui is our bridge to connecting the dots at the moment.
Through the power of the story we are able to connect dots, feel your passion and your insight. We are able to hear of our persistence, and our 'standing out'. We are able to hear our story and our journey as we share 'what school is for', for our targeted individual or group of learners. We are able to hear our journey as we celebrate the ways in which we are changing, and growing to better meet the needs of our learners.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INscMGmhmX4 Cropping images and masking images to add a new look... explore this more... Explore image options, and transparency... Really looking forward to creating some pretty MAGIC looking slides.... Exploring Peardeck So many options....
Sitting
on board flight NZbound for
Christchurch with the proviso that there is thick fog in Christchurch expected
to clear after 8am.If not we are likely
to return to Dunedin….
Well,
here I am sitting, relaxing, anticipating a full-on two days with my team. What an incredible experience we are about to
have as we view all schools in the south and work collaboratively to best meet
their needs.
As
is typical of team south, we have a fun element in amongst the hard work. Today at lunch we celebrate the inaugural ‘great
southern dip-off’. All team members are
invited to present their favourite dip and dippers to be judged by us all. As with a lot of things in life, looking forward
to the event can be as much fun as the event itself. This has certainly proved to be the case with
a google doc sharing our intended creations and a twitter fest of ingredients
and creations shared. OH what fun this
will be!
I
fly back from Christchurch on Friday night hopefully arriving home before my
guests. This weekend is the fourth
#educampdunners to be held at Silverstream School in Mosgiel. With educators travelling to this educamp
from Invercargill, Lawrence, Queenstown,
Wanaka, Oamaru, Timaru, and Christchurch it really is a gathering of
passionate, committed educators. I am
always conscious of connecting and networking and growing our ‘e’ circles, and
am delighted to see new educators signed up!
It
is never too late to sign up, so if you have an hour or two free on Saturday
morning come over to Mosgiel and join the conversations. Share your successes and challenges, connect
and network with like-minded educators.
